Free Fall in Interlaken

When is the best time to jump out of a plane? I always knew skydiving was a dream of mine but I thought I would be talked into it some day by someone I loved. However, on the day we arrived in Interlaken, once I knew skydiving was on the table I was all in. I wanted to skydive, so I decided to make it happen instead of wait around for someone to convince me to go with them. It was one of the most exciting, breathtaking, freeing things I have ever done and I genuinely loved every second of it. Flying over the Swiss alps is something I’ll never forget, and the feeling of dropping 8000 feet in 40 seconds is something I can’t describe.

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I did not regret choosing this adventure for one second, and while it would be fun to go back with someone I love, I’m so happy that I made the choice to go for myself. I’ve been learning a lot about people pleasing versus being free to be myself. This can be a hard distinction when being myself heavily involves the desire to make other people happy. However, I’ve learned that the secret to being free is authenticity. If I am truly being authentic and that is or is not pleasing to people, so be it. Being authentic and making the best choices, not just the ones that make the most people happy, feels like that first few seconds of free fall. At first it is completely terrifying, stomach fluttering, and out of control, but eventually it feels free and natural.

So yes skydiving broke my comfort zone, but not in the way you would expect. Choosing something just for me was totally outside of what makes me comfortable. The jumping out of the plane part was the easy part. (Just kidding my palms were sweating the whole plane ride up.) Even better, while this was a solo decision, I got to share the memory with the most amazing person ever, Cassidy, and develop a valuable friendship with her. Looking back, I wouldn’t have chosen anyone else to make that jump with me.